Country profile: Saudi Arabia

One of the most devout and insular countries in the
Middle East, Saudi Arabia has emerged from being an underdeveloped desert
kingdom to become one of the wealthiest nations in the region thanks to vast oil
resources.

But its rulers face the delicate task of responding to pressure for reform
while combating a growing problem of extremist violence.

Named after the ruling Al Saud family, which came to power in the 18th
century, the country includes the Hijaz region - the birthplace of the Prophet
Muhammad and the cradle of Islam. This fact, combined with the Al Sauds'
espousal of a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, has led
it to develop a strongly religious self-identity.

At a glance

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi mosque in Medina: Resting place of the Prophet
Muhammad

Politics: The Al Saud dynasty holds a monopoly of
power; political parties are banned and the opposition is organised from
abroad; militant Islamists have launched several deadly attacks

Economy: Saudi Arabia is the world's dominant oil
producer and owner of the largest hydrocarbon reserves; rapidly growing
unemployment is a major challenge

International: Saudi Arabia is one of the main
players in the Arab and Muslim worlds; its stature is built on its
geographic size, its prestige as the custodian of the birthplace of
Islam and status as major oil producer

Saudi Arabia was established in 1932 by King
Abd-al-Aziz - known as the Lion of Najd - who took over Hijaz from the Hashemite
family and united the country under his family's rule. Since his death in 1953,
he has been succeeded by various sons.

The Al Saud dynasty's monopoly of power meant that during the 20th century
successive kings were able to concentrate on modernisation and on developing the
country's role as a regional power.

It has always been in the ruling family's interests to preserve stability in
the region and to clamp down on extremist elements. To this end, it welcomed the
stationing of US troops in the country after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

But the leadership's refusal to tolerate any kind of opposition may have
encouraged the growth of dissident groups such as Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda,
which benefited from popular resentment against the role of the US in the Middle
East.

After the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington of 11 September 2001 -
carried out mainly by Saudi nationals - the Saudi authorities were further torn
between their natural instincts to step up internal security and pressure to
allow a greater degree of democracy.

In 2003 suicide bombers suspected of having links with al-Qaeda killed 35
people - including a number of foreigners - in the capital Riyadh. Some Saudis
referred to the attacks as their own 9/11.

Since then, demands for political reform have increased, as has the frequency
of militant attacks, some of them targeted at foreign workers. The security
forces have made thousands of arrests.

Municipal elections in 2005 were a first, limited exercise in democracy. But
political parties are banned - the opposition is organised from outside the
country - and activists who publicly broach the subject of reform risk being
jailed.

Saudi Arabia sits on more than 25% of the world's known oil reserves. It is
capable of producing more than 10 million barrels per day; that figure is set to
rise.

Full name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Population: 26.2 million (UN, 2010)

Capital: Riyadh

Area: 2.24 million sq km (864,869 sq miles)

Major language: Arabic

Major religion: Islam

Life expectancy: 73 years (men), 76 years (women) (UN)

Monetary unit: 1 Riyal = 100 halalah

Main exports: Oil, gas, cereals

GNI per capita: US $16,190 (World Bank, 2009)

Internet domain: .sa

International dialling code: +966

Head of state, prime minister: King Abdullah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz
Al Saud

King Abdullah is seen as being reform-minded
within the Saudi context

Saudi Arabia has been ruled since its foundation by the Al Saud dynasty. King
Abdullah succeeded the late King Fahd, his half-brother, in August 2005.

As crown prince, Abdullah had been the effective ruler of Saudi Arabia since
the former king suffered a stroke in the mid-1990s.

He became heir to the throne in 1982, commanded the powerful National Guard
and was considered to be the most influential figure in the country. He is a
former mayor of Mecca. His son, Mutib, is deputy commander of the National
Guard.

Abdullah is said to have forged alliances with other members of the ruling
family to offset the influence of his seven half brothers. Known as the "Sudayri
Seven", they are the most powerful alliance within the ruling family.

He is seen as being untainted by corruption - giving credibility to his drive
to stamp it out - and to favour reforms which are balanced with a respect for
Saudi traditions.

Regarded in the Arab world as a supporter of wider Arab interests, he has
criticised US support for Israel and Israel's occupation of Palestinian
territory.

At home, he appears to subscribe to the view that granting modest reforms can
help prevent potentially explosive tensions from building up.

One of his responses to the Arab Spring has been to use financial sweeteners
in an effort to keep the Saudi people happy.

He has also promised Saudi women that they will eventually get the vote.

King Abdullah is believed to have been born in 1924. He received a
traditional religious education and is close to the Saudi tribal way of life,
often spending periods of time in the desert. However, he has never shared the
severely puritanical view of Islam of his country's Wahhabi religious
establishment.

Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al Saud was named as heir
to the throne, following the death of Sultan bin Abdul Aziz in October 2011.

Saudi Arabia maintains tight control over the
media

Saudi investors are major players in the pan-Arab TV
industry, but the country has one of the region's most tightly-controlled media
environments.

Criticism of the government and royal family and the questioning of Islamic
tenets are not generally tolerated. Self-censorship is pervasive.

The state-run Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (BSKSA)
operates almost all domestic broadcasting outlets. The minister of culture and
information chairs the body which oversees radio and TV.

Private TV stations cannot operate from Saudi soil, but the country is a
major market for pan-Arab satellite and pay-TV. Saudi investors are behind the
major networks MBC, which is based in Dubai, and Bahrain-based Orbit Showtime.

Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal owns the Rotana media entertainment
empire and in late 2011 acquired a $300m stake in the social media site Twitter.

Newspapers are created by royal decree. There are more than a dozen dailies.
Pan-Arab papers, subject to censorship, are available. On sensitive stories,
newspapers tend to follow the editorial lead of the state-run news agency.

There were 11.4 million internet users by December 2010 (Internetworldstats.com).
Strict filtering is in place, targeting "pornographic", Islam-related, human
rights and political sites. The authorities say some 400,000 sites are blocked.

Changes to the press law in 2011 brought all forms of electronic publishing
under its scope.

Saudi researchers say there are up to 10,000 blogs in the kingdom. The
platform has given women some leeway to express themselves freely.

1990 - Saudi Arabia condemns Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and
asks the US to intervene; it allows foreign troops, the Kuwaiti government and
many of its citizens to stay in Saudi Arabia but expels citizens of Yemen and
Jordan because of their governments' support of Iraq.

Saudi attacks Iraq

1991 - Saudi Arabia is involved in both air attacks on Iraq
and in the land force that went on to liberate Kuwait.

1992 March - King Fahd announces the "Basic System of
Government" emphasising the duties and responsiblities of a ruler. He proposes
setting up a Consultative Council (majlis al-shura).

1993 September - King Fahd decrees the division of Saudi
Arabia into thirteen administrative divisions.

1993 December - The Consultative Council is inaugurated. It
is composed of a chairman and 60 members chosen by the king.

1995 November - King Fahd has a stroke. Crown Prince
Abdullah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz Al Saud takes on the day-to-day running of the country.

1996 February - King Fahd resumes control of state affairs.

1996 June - A bomb explodes at the US military complex near
Dhahran killing 19 and wounding over 300.

1997 July - King Fahd increases the members of the
Consultative Council (majlis al-shura) from sixty to ninety.

1999 October - Twenty Saudi women attend a session of the
Consultative Council for the first time.

2000 September - UK-based rights group Amnesty International
describes Saudi Arabia's treatment of women, particularly foreign domestic
workers, as "untenable" by any legal or moral standard.

2001 March - Several British workers are arrested in Riyadh
after a series of blasts in which a British and an American national are killed.

Relations with US

Large parts of southern Saudi Arabia are sand
desert

2001 11 September - 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in
attacks on New York and Washington are Saudi nationals.

2001 December - King Fahd calls for the eradication of
terrorism, saying it is prohibited by Islam; government takes the unprecedented
step of issuing ID cards to women.

2002 February - British man arrested in Riyadh after the
March 2001 bombings claims the Saudi authorities tortured him and forced a
confession. The man, Ron Jones, had been released after being allowed to retract
his confession.

2002 May - Revised criminal code includes ban on torture and
right of suspects to legal representation, but rights campaigners say violations
continue.

2002 November - Saudi foreign minister says his country will
not allow the US to use its facilities to attack Iraq, even in a UN-sanctioned
strike.

2003 April - US says it will pull out almost all its troops
from Saudi Arabia, ending a military presence dating back to the 1991 Gulf war.
Both countries stress that they will remain allies.

2003 May - Suicide bombers kill 35 people at housing
compounds for Westerners in Riyadh hours before US Secretary of State Colin
Powell flies in for planned visit.

Signs of dissent

2003 September - More than 300 Saudi intellectuals - women
as well as men - sign petition calling for far-reaching political reforms.

2003 October - Police break up unprecedented rally in centre
of Riyadh calling for political reform. More than 270 people are arrested.

2003 November - King grants wider powers to Consultative
Council (majlis al-shura), enabling it to propose legislation without his
permission.

2004 February - Stampede at Hajj pilgrimage leaves 251 dead.

2004 April - Four police officers and a security officer
killed in attacks near Riyadh. Car bomb at security forces' HQ in Riyadh kills
four, wounds 148. Group linked to al-Qaeda claims responsibility.

Attacks

2004 May - Attack at petrochemical site in Yanbu kills five
foreigners. Attack and hostage-taking at oil company compound in Khobar; 22
people are killed.

2004 June - Three gun attacks in Riyadh within a week leave
two Americans and a BBC cameraman dead. The same week, a US engineer is abducted
and beheaded, his filmed death causing revulsion in America.

Security forces kill local al-Qaeda leader Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin shortly
afterwards, but an amnesty for militants which follows has only limited effect
despite a fall in militant activity.

2004 December - Attack on US consulate in Jeddah; five staff
and four attackers are killed.

2007 October - Royal decree orders an overhaul of the
judicial system.

2007 December - Authorities announce arrest of a group of
men suspected of planning attacks on holy sites during the Hajj pilgrimage.

2008 April - British High Court rules British government
acted unlawfully in dropping corruption inquiry into the £43bn Saudi Al-Yamamah
defence deal.

2008 July - British House of Lords reverses High Court
decision and says their government acted lawfully in dropping investigation into
the Al-Yamamah defence deal as the Saudis had threatened to withdraw cooperation
with London on security matters.

2008 December - Saudi Arabia and Qatar agree final
delineation of border.

2009 February - Interpol issues security alerts for 85 men
suspected of plotting attacks in Saudi Arabia, in its largest group alert. All
but two are Saudis.

King Abdullah sacks head of religious police, most senior judge and central
bank head in rare government reshuffle. Also appoints country's first woman
minister.

2009 April - Saudi Arabia said it had arrested 11 al-Qaeda
militants who were allegedly planning attacks on police installations, armed
robberies and kidnappings.

2009 June - US President Barack Obama arrived in Saudi
Arabia at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at increasing US engagement with
the Islamic world. Had talks with King Abdullah.

Al-Qaeda trial

2009 July - A court issued verdicts in the first explicit
terrorism trial for al-Qaeda militants in the country. Officials said 330 had
been on trial, but did not specify how many had been found guilty. One was
sentenced to death.

Amnesty International criticised Saudi Arabia over abuses allegedly committed
as part of its counter-terrorism operations, saying thousands of suspects have
been detained for years without charge or trial.

The Human Rights Watch group accuses Saudi Arabia of not living up to pledges
to free women from the institution of male guardianship, which prevents them
from receiving medical treatment without the permission of a male relative.

2011 September - King Abdullah announces more rights for
women, including the right to vote and run in municipal elections and to be
appointed to the consultative Shura Council - the most influential political
body in the country.

A woman is sentenced to 10 lashes after being found guilty of driving - the
first time that a legal punishment has been handed down for violation of the ban
on women drivers. King Abdullah overturns the sentence.

2011 October - Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al Saud is named
as the heir to the throne, after Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud dies.

2011 December - US confirms major sale of fighter jets to
Saudi Arabia.